I’m running the half marathon again for The Children’s Book Project, but this year it is particularly special as I’m running in memory of my brother, Alasdair, who died recently.

Al had Down syndrome, and I have a very personal memory of my mum persevering with teaching him to read when we were growing up, using the Peter and Jane books. She was incredibly patient and determined that Al should have the opportunity to read. So the idea of helping other children discover the joy and possibilities that books can bring feels especially meaningful this year.

I’ve known Liberty Venn, who leads the Children’s Book Project, for some time and have been inspired by what she has built. What started as a simple idea, getting books to children who need them, has grown into a hugely practical and ambitious organisation, with children choosing books they are excited about and taking them home to keep. The charity is now reaching further into the early years too, helping get books into the hands of young children and their parents.

The need is enormous. One in three disadvantaged children has fewer than ten books at home, and one in ten has none. And the difference books can make is striking: children who own a book are nearly four times as likely to enjoy reading and to read daily, while reading for pleasure is one of the strongest predictors of future life chances.

I also love that CBP is a charity where you can see the impact of what you are giving. Last year it put nearly 530,000 books into the hands of 147,000 children.

So please sponsor me if you can. This year, every mile is for Al and every donation will help put another book into the hands of a child.

And if I’m questioning my life choices somewhere around mile 10, I shall remind myself that Al would probably have found the whole thing rather amusing probably commenting as he was wont to say... "what a day!"